Amid a growing chorus of criticism from faculty members and students, Larry Penley abruptly resigned Wednesday after more than five years as president of Colorado State University.

On Monday, the university’s Board of Governors held an impromptu executive session during which it evaluated Penley’s performance. His resignation apparently is a result of that meeting.

Douglas L. Jones, chairman of the board, refused to discuss Penley’s reasons, other than to say he wasn’t surprised by the resignation. Board members had learned that Penley had been a finalist for positions at other universities.

“Larry feels he’s accomplished what he set out to achieve,” Jones said. “I guess he feels it’s time to move on.”

Penley did not return calls for comment but said in a letter to Jones: “I want to be free to pursue other positions in higher education. This resignation will allow me the flexibility to do so.”

Jones said a national search for Penley’s successor was underway. CSU provost Tony Frank was appointed interim president.

Officials said Penley will receive one year’s salary, $389,000.

In brief statements, Jones and faculty representatives thanked Penley for his service. “CSU has made significant progress under his direction and he leaves the university in a strong academic position,” said Richard Eykholt, chair of the faculty council.

But Penley, who as recently as six months ago had seemed well-

liked by board members and entrenched on campus, had developed vocal critics with his plans to expand the university’s profile and mission.

Add last year’s dismissal of 15-year football coach Sonny Lubick — executed while key university financial supporter and Lubick fan Pat Stryker was out of the country — and Penley suddenly found himself embattled.

Some of his critics claim his programs were expanding the university in the wrong direction — away from what they saw as its core mission of having tenured professors teaching undergraduate students.

They cited his creation of a $12 million online “global campus,” in which nontraditional students could work toward degrees, and a large public relations effort that included a billboard in New York City’s Times Square and full-page ads in Newsweek, as well as his push to promote CSU as a “green” campus.

“This ‘green’ thing is an annoyance,” said professor C.W. Miller. “We don’t need to be putting so much into public relations when we can’t even take care of what we’ve got. We’ve got chairs that are falling apart, white boards that can’t be written on.”

When Penley recently announced a five-year plan to expand enrollment, hiring and fundraising, some on the faculty feared it signaled that Penley planned to stay for years.

Student body president Taylor Smoot said the expansion plans were too much, particularly in light of sour economy.

“Should we be spending millions on a global campus or on good teaching?” Smoot asked.

Political science professor John Straayer said Penley’s style of management offended many people. “He demanded absolute loyalty from the top down. We’d learn about his decision in the newspaper, not internally,” he said.

Under Penley, CSU’s revenue grew about 26 percent to an annual budget of $750 million. In-state tuition increased 52 percent and student fees rose 73 percent since 2003, the school said. Its administration budget grew 34 percent to more than $110 million; academic colleges’ budgets grew only 14 percent to $119 million, according to the school.

CSU spokesman Brad Bohlander said the budget’s proportions remained the same, with academics receiving 31 percent of the budget and research 23 percent.

Lubick, who has not spoken to Penley since last fall, was stunned by the resignation. Penley was not invited to a ceremony honoring Lubick last year hosted by Gov. Bill Ritter.

Head football coach Steve Fairchild issued a statement saying “I’ve enjoyed the chance to get to know Dr. Penley and his wife, Yolanda. They’re outstanding people. While we certainly will miss them, we won’t change the way we go about our business. In fact, that’s a credit to Dr. Penley, that our football program will continue to make strides because of what he set in motion.”

Second-year men’s basketball coach Tim Miles said of Penley: “He’s been good to athletics in my time here. I’m grateful to him and wish him luck in his future endeavors.

Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk said thanked Penley for his support and said, “We’ll continue to work just as hard in building a program that makes our fans and alumni proud. Our goals do not change.”

Key dates in Larry Penley’s tenure

May 19, 2003: Penley, dean of Arizona State University’s School of Business, is selected as CSU’s 13th president after a controversial process in which board members rejected an attempt by Gov. Bill Owens to have them select a political ally.

June, 15, 2005: After a year of wrangling with the Owens administration and legislature, CSU’s board approves a 15 percent tuition hike.

August 2005: CSU announces a reorganization designed to add a vice president of the university system to oversee CSU-Pueblo. The president of the Pueblo campus says he was not consulted.

October 2006: Penley announces a five-year plan to add 6,000 students, 450 professors and $500 million in research spending.

More in News

President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said Saturday there was “incontrovertible” evidence of a Russian plot to disrupt the 2016 U.S. election, a blunt statement that shows how significantly the new criminal charges leveled by an American investigator have upended the political debate over his inquiry.

The University of Colorado leadership is grappling with how to address a nationwide nosedive in the favorability of higher education — particularly, among conservatives — as CU’s own representatives and decision-makers disagree on what’s behind the downturn.